Relationship between Multimorbidity and Cognitive Decline Moderated by Social Health

Background and Objectives: Multimorbidity is one of the important problems in health that can lead to cognitive decline. There is notable literature revealing that multimorbidity and cognitive ability are associated with social health and social-related activity. In this regard, this study aimed to investigate the role of social health in the relationship between multimorbidity and cognitive decline. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on all elderly people aged ۷۰ years and above referring to the outpatient clinics of hospitals in Tehran, Iran, within July-September ۲۰۱۹. The volunteer samples (n=۲۷۰) were selected from three randomly selected hospitals, namely Imam Khomeini, Sina, and Shariati, using the availability sampling method. The instruments of the study included questionnaires, namely a social-demographic form, the Chronic Diseases Checklist, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Test, and Social Health Questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (version ۲۲) using linear regression. Results: The results showed that MoCA (cognitive decline) had a significant relationship with multimorbidity (β=۰.۵۸, ۹۵% CI: ۰.۶۲-۰.۵۴, P<۰.۰۰۱) and social health (β=-۰.۲۱, ۹۵% CI: -۰.۲۶. -۰.۱۶, P<۰.۰۰۱). Moreover, the findings indicated that social health was a mediator variable between multimorbidity and cognitive decline (β=۰.۱۲, ۹۵% CI: ۰.۰۹-۰.۱۴, P<۰.۰۰۱), in which the amplification of social health would modulate the negative effect of multimorbidity on cognition ability. Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, social health was a moderating variable in the relationship between multimorbidity and cognitive decline. In the other words, social health was a protective factor against a particular risk factor, such as multimorbidity, in protecting cognitive abilities.    

کلیدواژه ها:

Multimorbidity ، Cognitive decline ، Social health